Page 10 of Home With You

"Yes?"

"Did you hear anything I just said?" His bushy white brows lower over his narrowed eyes as he glares at me.

"Yes. The Samson case. I'll get right on it."

He keeps his eyes on me, but remains silent, making me think I was wrong in my response. I have no clue what he's been talking about the past five minutes so I just said the last thing I heard.

Mr. Kasburger's eyes turn back to the conference table. "Does anyone have any other matters to discuss before we disperse?"

"I'm having issues with my laptop," Mark, one of the new hires says. "I can't connect remotely."

"Talk to the IT department," Kasburger says, seeming annoyed. "And for future reference, those types of issues aren't discussed in these meetings. These meetings are for client matters only."

"Yes, sir," Mark says, his face getting red.

"Good day, everyone." Kasburger leaves and we wait until he's down the hall before getting up from the table. He's a senior partner at the law firm and our toughest boss. Also the meanest. The other partners are younger and not so by-the-book as Kasburger. The guy has rules for everything and feels the need to enforce them, such as his rule for shoes being polished.

I'm not kidding. Yesterday in the hall, he stopped me to tell me to polish my shoes. They're dress shoes I bought for interviews last spring. I've worn them a lot but they still look good. Apparently, Kasburger doesn't think so and said they didn't shine enough. He took me to his office and gave me shoe polish and made me polish them right then and there. Then he told me he expects my shoes to be polished like that from here on out. I honestly thought it was a joke, like he was just messing with the new guy, but he was totally serious. Later I talked to some of the other new hires and found out the same thing happened to them, so at least it wasn't just me.

"You want to meet after lunch?" Lisa asks as we walk back from the meeting. She sits at the desk next to mine.

"What are we meeting about?"

"The Samson file," she says, wrinkling her nose. "Were you not listening?"

"Guess not. My mind kept wandering in that meeting."

"You have to pay attention, especially with Kasburger. He's been known to fire people for not listening."

"Really? Shit. Good to know."

We stop at her cubicle and she sets her notepad down. "I need to get some stuff done before lunch but I could meet around two."

"Okay, but I still need to know what we're talking about."

She checks her watch. "I don't have time to explain it right now. Want to grab lunch at noon and we can go over it? Then when we get back you'll have time to review the file before our meeting."

"Um, sure. Okay."

I was hoping to have some free time at lunch to go out and enjoy the weather. It's a warm September day and I'd planned to get some food and eat in the park. But now I have a meeting. I'm used to being in class a few hours, then doing whatever I want the rest of the day. I need to adjust to this new schedule and new way of life.

Just before noon, I stand by Lisa's desk. "Ready to go?"

She turns to face me. "It's lunch already?"

"Yeah, but I can come back if you're not ready."

She's already up and grabbing her keys. "Let's go." She walks past me and continues to the elevators. "I usually don't even eat lunch. I don't have time."

"How long have you worked here?"

"Eight years." She checks her phone. I just met her but she seems like one of those high-strung people that doesn't ever relax. Or maybe it's the job making her that way. I hope not. I don't want to end up like that.

The elevator opens and we ride down to the first floor. She steps out first and I follow her outside. She's on her phone, texting someone.

"My nanny is completely incompetent," she says, texting as we walk down the busy street.

I didn't know she had kids. This is the first time she's mentioned them and she doesn't have photos of them on her desk.

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